Creative Indulgence – Nothing to feel guilty about!

As autumn rolls on I find myself in a peculiar mood. I’ve had a good couple of weeks; I’ve accomplished numerous things on my ‘to do’ list, taken care of admin tasks, had a lovely Halloween class with Flamingo Chicks and enjoyed a shift at St Peter’s Hospice. Wednesday’s Luna Lapin Workshop was the highlight of last week; we were a diverse group of interesting women around the table, we chatted and stitched, learnt a little about one another and enjoyed a shared creative interest. Yet I’m feeling restless, itchy footed and in search of something different. I can’t put my finger on exactly what it is that I’m really feeling but it is not unfamiliar, I’ve been here before!

Elizabeth Gilbert wrote “If you have a creative mind, it’s a little bit like owning a border collie. You have to give it something to do or it will find something to do, and you will not like the thing it finds to do.” At the moment I am metaphorically in danger of chewing the furniture and peeing on the floor! There are so many things I could do, but what I really crave is something completely new. I’m very good at encouraging others to take the time to learn something new, to enjoy the creative process and its rewards, but I’m not so good at actually making the time to get on with the many projects on my desk and in my head.

I think in part this stems from an odd but deeply held belief that I have just acknowledged. I somehow feel that spending time doing the things I love to do is indulgent and thus guilt inducing. In fact this struck me so strongly that I looked up the word ‘indulgent’ and was actually surprised to acknowledge that its synonyms are words which are, in my mind, overwhelmingly positive. Satisfaction, gratification, fulfilment. These are all feelings that I strive to create in others when they attend Simpson Sisters workshops.

I am resolving to embrace the idea of indulging myself with the time to do the things I love. In fact I am creating a business entirely based upon this very premise so it is really vital that I do not simply pay lip service to the benefits and pleasures of ‘indulging’ in creative pursuits. From a longer and more contented life to becoming a better problem solver, creativity has many benefits and is also an extremely pleasurable way in which to spend time with others.

In these days when our virtual communities have increased enormously but our local, day to day communities have in many cases shrunk, I genuinely hope that I can inspire others to make the time to experience satisfaction, gratification and fulfilment.

So, on that note I’m going to stop wittering on here and go and hunt a nice creative activity for myself, both in the name of workshop research and for my own pleasure! Keep an eye on my Instagram where I’ll share anything I enjoy making 🙂

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Hi Vanessa, I’ve attended many workshops in my time, when I could afford it. But being in the maelstrom of elderly parent care for a few years taught me the importance of having absorbing interests that provide light relief during difficult times. My advice to anyone struggling with this is – don’t wait for devastating times in your life when it becomes essential, do it now so you have that creativity there to draw on when you need it.
And on that note I’m off for my stone carving workshop this weekend :0)